How many times have you visited a website hoping to find just what you were looking for only to run into a meaningless collection of buzzwords? Avoiding that kind of muddled messaging is important to your startup’s success.
marketing
For Start-Ups, Getting the Basics Right Isn’t Easy
Things like pricing and finding your market and niche are extremely important to the success of a new startup – but getting those basics right is a lot harder than you think.
How 7-Eleven’s New Slurpee Rollout Is Perfectly Shaped to Attract Crowds All Summer
Nowadays, retailers and manufacturers can’t merely introduce a new product to consumers and call it a day. The way that 7-Eleven is launching “Slurpee Lite,” its new low-calorie drink, shows how a product rollout must be an “event.” This week’s event includes a big Slurpee giveaway.
So Does Kim Kardashian Endorse Any Products That Aren’t Dubious?
Celebrity endorsements rarely make much sense. Despite what Hulk Hogan and Troy Aikman have said, for instance, it’s foolish to pay double the retail price for a TV from Rent-A-Center. Even so, the endorsement-crazed “famous for …
Why JCPenney’s ‘No More Coupons’ Experiment Is Failing
The new JCPenney sounds so appealing on paper. Earlier this year, the retailer announced that “fake prices”—inflated big time to make markdowns seem more tempting—would disappear, to be replaced with a “fair and square” …
You’ll Be Able to Buy ‘Waterproof Sunblock’ This Summer, Even Though There’s No Such Thing
Last summer, the FDA announced new regulations affecting how sunscreens are marketed. Accordingly, sunscreen labels will no longer be allowed to feature the words “waterproof,” “sweatproof,” and “sunblock”—because no sunscreen …
10 Indie-Seeming Brands That Aren’t
Last month, the health food company Kashi was caught in an uproar when complaints went viral regarding its use of genetically modified and non-organic ingredients. All the attention brought to light another open secret about …
Hot Fast Food Deals: 50% Off Drink Specials, Loyalty Program Freebies, Limited-Time Menu Items
Major fast food and coffeehouse chains are launching special discounts and promotions aimed to keep customers streaming in during the hot days and months ahead. Who says “happy hour” has to be limited to bars and restaurants that …
How Giving Away Comic Books Is a Great Way to Sell Comic Books
The annual event known as Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May every year—May 5 in 2012. It’s a day when comic book shops all over North America give away free comics to each and every customer. It’s also a …
No Escaping Ads: They’re Under Your Shoes, On the Back of Your Legs, Where You Pee
Most people aren’t exactly overjoyed that their lives are flooded with ads. Whereas the average consumer may find the creep of advertising to be, well, creepy, advertising insiders see unexpected brand and product placements not as intrusive, but as innovative, often brilliant.
Why You May Be Less Likely to Delete that Daily Deal
For many consumers, “daily deal remorse”—regret felt after getting caught up in the moment and biting on an offer from Groupon or LivingSocial for no good reason—has been replaced by what might be called “daily deal fatigue.” …
Millennials Are Biggest Suckers for Selfish Impulse Buys
Members of Gen Y—the “millennials” born roughly between 1980 and 1995—are perhaps the most studied demographic in history. We know everything from how often they post on Facebook and Twitter, to what degree they really want to be able to wear jeans at work. Here’s one more factoid about this group that retailers are sure to take note …
